How to Start a Fast-Food Business

Is it the food that you love? The sensory chaos of a busy kitchen? Or perhaps all you crave is the gratitude of another satisfied customer? If you are looking to start a fast-food business, it’s a rewarding vocation that can bring you great job stability, along with a good income. But while takeaways have always been a staple of the UK High Street, the market is changing. Research from the British Takeaway Campaign reveals that vegan takeaway orders grew 388% between 2016 and 2018 . That same research suggests the takeaway sector is twice the size it was two years ago. What’s clear is that new business owners who are prepared to get creative with their takeaway and fill a niche could become very successful.

Wondering how to start a fast-food business? Find out what skills you need, the different paths you can take, important considerations to keep in mind and how to legally establish your business.

What Is Fast Food?

A fast-food business is a broad term that covers businesses selling affordable food to customers in as little time as possible. These businesses might be in the form of restaurants providing service by way of drive-thrus, as well as traditional sit-down meals. It also includes companies that sell food primarily through delivery websites like Deliveroo and JustEat .

This business model is growing in popularity as it meets consumer demand for quick convenience, while still providing tasty food in a low-cost manner. Open a fast-food business and you will provide people with an affordable means of eating and feel fulfilled doing what you love best.

What Skills and Qualifications Are Needed to Start a Fast-Food Business?

As with most other businesses, you are not required to have any official training or qualifications to start a fast-food business. Although you don’t necessarily need to gain any qualifications or experience to start and run a fast-food business, it is advisable to do so. You might enjoy cooking and be good at it, but running a business is a lot different. Therefore, getting some basic level qualification and experience is strongly advised. From going to a cookery school to getting a food technology degree, the level of qualification will depend on you and how much time and money you want to invest in your craft.

Some essential skills for creating a great fast-food business are entrepreneurial skills and a variety of creative skills. The ability to work under pressure and deliver a consistent eating experience for your customers is key. You will also need great customer service skills to build relationships with customers in order to keep them coming back. Continuous learning and keeping up with the industry is essential to survive in the competitive world of running a business. It might be worth considering working for somebody else for a couple of months to get a real idea of how a fast-food business operates.

What Type of Fast Food Business Should I Open?

In order to be successful in this marketplace, you need a strong concept when starting out. Arguably, your menu is your takeaway’s most important document — it’s your shop window. If you already have one, great. But if you aren’t sure, here are some takeaway business ideas:

• Meat-free: Vegan food is transforming the takeaway sector. If your area doesn’t have many meat-free options, but there’s clearly demand, could you fill the gap?
• Japanese: BBC Good Food put Japanese food and cooking techniques high on its list of food trends for 2020.
• Go Green: No, we don’t mean a takeaway that only serves runner beans, Brussels sprouts and garden peas. Rather, a takeaway based on ethical choices — like reduced waste and plastic-free.

Create a sample menu after you’ve settled on your concept. This gets you thinking about your brand, your dishes and the price you want to sell them at. At this stage, you will need to consider aspects like:

• Who are your competitors?
• What takeaways already exist in the area? If there are lots of similar takeaways, you might be entering a saturated market. If there aren’t, you should research why. Does it mean there’s no demand?
• How will your fast-food business operate? For example, will you serve customers in a traditional restaurant setting or will you use a fast-food van?

It’s important to carry out proper market research when making these decisions and include them in your business plan.

How to Start a Fast Food Business

If you’ve decided you want to start a fast-food business and come up with a great food concept, you’ll then want to create a solid business plan. Consider these additional areas when creating your business plan:

• Where will you sell your food to customers?
• What will you name your business?
• Organise a budget with start-up costs and expenses
• How will you price your food?
• What are your business model and legal structure?
• What is your recruitment strategy for hiring employees?
• What rules and regulations must you follow?
• What is your marketing plan?

Ready to Form Your Fast Food Business?

If you have your business plan and are ready to start a fast-food business, it’s time to form your company. You can form a limited company or go the sole-trader route. Deciding and completing your company formation is crucial to your business success. Let us help!

Are you ready to start a fast-food business? At Mint Formations , we help you form your limited company or self-employed business and take away all the stress that comes with starting a business. All Mint customers receive 30% off our logo and website design services so that you can get started on the right foot.

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